Williams adamant glory days will return

Claire Williams insists that her team will never 'go the way of Tyrrell' and will remain a contender in Formula 1.

Williams, deputy team principal to her father Frank, says her dream is to see the team return to the top of the championship.

Williams has not won a championship since 1997 and has claimed just a single victory since 2004. But the team's form in Australia, where Valtteri Bottas finished in fifth place, suggests the squad is primed to rebound after a dismal 2013 season in which they amassed just five points and placed ninth in the championship.

"I would hate for the Williams legacy to fade away. There are stories that it will go the way of Tyrrell," she said of the team which won championships in the 1970s, before scrapping for points during their final seasons in the 1990s. "Well, over my dead body. No way. That's not going to happen. My dream is to make this a world championship-winning team again."

Williams also told The Independent that she has never been fazed by being a women in a sport dominated by men.

"Everyone is interested in the female element, which is really weird because I've never, ever considered it," she said.

"I grew up in F1, so I've been surrounded by men all my life and am used to that. When I was put into this role I never thought, 'Oh God, will people take me seriously because I'm a woman?' I've never really found that it's been more of a challenge doing this role because I'm a girl. I'm just there to do my job. The girl thing just doesn't come into it."